Publications Through the Years
Throughout its almost two centuries of existence, St. Xavier High School has produced a wide variety of print publications, each unique in its own way. Some, like The Conqueror, were short-lived, while others, such as the X-Ray, have been published for decades. Moreover, as the list below demonstrates, publications at St. Xavier through the years have encompassed a diverse array of formats as well as subject matter.
Current Publications
Blueprint: The Blueprint is St. Xavier’s current student newspaper, generally published six times a year. First appearing in 1980 in a magazine-style format, it eventually transitioned into a newspaper in 1994. Each edition of The Blueprint contains everything from school news, sports updates, and editorials to movie and music reviews, teacher profiles, and humor.
Expressions: First appearing in 1965 under the auspices of English teacher John Hussong and the Literary Club, the publication was (and is) meant to showcase the many creative talents of St. Xavier students. Expressions continues to be an annually published journal of student-produced art, short stories, poetry, and photography.
St. Xavier Magazine: Currently published three times every calendar year, St. Xavier Magazine is a publication mailed to over 23,000 alumni all over the world, as well as to current students and their families. First appearing in the summer of 1994, the magazine is in many ways the direct descendant of the Alumni Bulletin. Full-length articles, news updates, and alumni happenings are all included in every issue.
X-Ray: The X-Ray is St. Xavier’s yearbook, published annually since 1927. Every yearbook contains a plethora of images and information about each academic year, including but not limited to: student photos, clubs and activities, athletic competitions, awards, plays, and faculty members. Each yearbook is unique in that it provides a brief snapshot of what life was like for St. Xavier students through the years.
X-tinct Publications
Alumni Bulletin: First published in 1949, the Alumni Bulletin was created to help alumni and their families stay up to date on school events and activities. The Bulletin also served to inform graduates about the “comings-and-goings” of their fellow classmates after high school. Initially taking the form of a full-sized newspaper, the Alumni Bulletin would continue to change formats through the years, transitioning to a broadsheet and eventually to a smaller, playbill-sized magazine. Publication of the Bulletin ceased after 1993 with the arrival of St. Xavier Magazine.
The Conqueror: Coming onto the scene in 1931 amid the Great Depression was St. Xavier High School’s first newspaper, The Conqueror. The title of the publication was chosen by the newspaper’s staff after holding a contest that brought in over 300 suggested names from students and faculty members alike. The nascent newspaper contained the usual subjects: school news, faculty profiles, athletic updates, humor, and editorials. But it was not meant to be, as The Conqueror ceased publication in May 1934, a mere two and a half years after its inception. The Conqueror moniker, however, continued to live on as the name of the school’s mascot until the mid-1940s.
Kampus Kapers: Originally appearing as Campus Capers in September 1935, this simple student publication was reborn as Kampus Kapers two years later in 1937. Produced using a mimeograph machine and distributed multiple times a week, Kampus Kapers mainly served to disseminate information about daily activities such as club meetings, dances, and athletic contests. Often humorous and playful, the publication served as a compliment to the more serious Scrivener. Kampus Kapers was last published in May 1943.
The Scrivener: Making its debut in November 1934 was The Scrivener. This quarterly magazine, published by St. Xavier students and sold for 25 cents a copy, featured full-length editorials, articles, athletic updates, short stories, and poetry. Its chief aim was “to record student opinion, literary expression, and a significant picture of student life.” The Scrivener faded away in the early 1940s when it was replaced by a new student newspaper, The Xavier Prep.
St. Xavier Catalogue: Produced by the school for many years starting in 1841-1842, the catalogues contain a wealth of information: faculty and student lists, tuition costs, honors and awards, club information, class descriptions, and historical sketches. Catalogues produced in the 19th century contained information from both the high school and college divisions of St. Xavier, with the high school publishing its own distinct catalogue starting in 1916. Though not produced today, much of the same information contained in the catalogues lives on in the publication of student handbooks and course directories.
St. Xavier Newsletter: Replacing the principal’s newsletter of old, the school-wide Newsletter began popping up in mailboxes in 1977. Published once a month by the school, the Newsletter conveyed important information to parents about athletic banquets, extracurriculars, standardized testing, and school events such as X-Travaganza and the President’s Dinner. Each edition came complete with a monthly calendar as well as inserted flyers about anything from band camp to bookstore sales to college advising. Though it had a good run, being published until around 2012, the Newsletter eventually fell victim to the digital age and was replaced by weekly emails from the principal.
The Xaverian News: First created as a fortnightly newspaper in late 1915 by St. Xavier College School of Commerce students, the publication went on to become a weekly newspaper in the mid-1920s. Though largely catering to the college division of St. Xavier, most issues also contained news and updates relevant to the high school. The high school and college continued to collaborate on the publication even after the college division’s relocation to Avondale in 1919, but the joint effort ceased in the early 1930s when St. Xavier High introduced a student newspaper entirely of its own creation, The Conqueror.
The Xavier Prep: Appearing on the campus of St. Xavier on October 14, 1943 was The Xavier Prep. The direct evolutionary descendant of both Kampus Kapers and The Scrivener, this student publication contained many of the same types of material as its predecessors: athletic updates, information pertaining to school events, and editorials on religious matters and current events. Over its three decades of existence, The Xavier Prep went through a variety of formats: originally a newspaper, it then transitioned to a small booklet in the early 1950s before returning to a full-sized newspaper in the mid to late 1950s; its final 15 years were spent as a magazine. The last issue of The Xavier Prep was published in May 1973.
X-Press: A weekly publication that began in the fall of 1963, X-Press was created to compliment the once-a-month and more formal Xavier Prep. Comprised of only 1-3 sheets of mimeographed paper, X-Press contained information on everything from clubs to sports as well as editorials, cartoons, and student polls. Though one of the scrappier St. X student publications, X-Press continued to exist until the early 1980s when it was supplanted with the advent of Blueprint.
